Ice can



Feb. 17, 1942.

T. S. ELLIOTT, SR

ICE CAN Filed Nov. 12, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l 77m; 8 J g/Au .31:

A tiomey' Feb. 17, 1942.

T. S. ELLIOTT, SR

ICE CAN Filed Nov. 12, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor ma 3. E/lMH- J A ttorney 1" Feb. 17 19 2- 'r. s. ELLIOTT, SR

ICE CAN 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed No'v. 12, 1940 m a a. 4 w w o o 0 0 o o e V/ o o o o 1/? o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o I o o e o o Inventor 72m .2 5/00,? Jr.-

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a J /l A iforneyisa Patented Feb. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE CAN Thomas S. Elliott, Sr.,

Corporation, Hagerstown, Md.

Victor Products Norfolk, Va., assignor to 10 Claims.

This invention relates to an ice can, such as a can used for making cubes of ice, the general object of the invention being to provide a resillent member in the can which is so constructed and arranged that it will allow expansion of the freezing water and prevent bulging of the can.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the partition members of the grids can be moved, after the grids with the cubes therein are removed from the can, so as to easily and quickly release the cubes from the parts of the grids.

A still further object of the invention is to provide perforated partition members for use in a can having a plurality of grids therein for separating some of the grids from the others, the perforations permitting the freezing water to reach the resilient member so that this resilient member will permit expansion of the cubes on the far sides of the partition members to prevent bulging of the sides of the can.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a can provided with the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View and taken at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view with the cover re moved.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of one of the longitudinally extending partition members of a grid and showing how a transverse member is movably connected therewith.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view and taken transversely through the grid members and the resilient member, after the parts have been removed from the can, and showing how the grids are separated by thekey member for releasing the ice from the grid members.

Figure 6 is a View of the key member.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing the invention provided with a multiplicity of grid members and with perforated partition members separating some of the grid members.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view through Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view of one of the partition members with the perforations therein.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the resilient member.

In these drawings, and referring to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, the can is shown at C and said can is open at its top as usual and the can shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5 is of a size to receive a pair of grids G each of which includes a plurality of longitudinally extending members I and a plurality of transversely extending members 2.

As is well known during the freezing operation the expansion of the freezing water causes the sides of the can to bulge, thus rendering the can incapable of being used after a short time. In order to prevent this bulging of the can I provide a resilient member 3 made in the form of a fiat plate which extends longitudinally in the can and this resilient member is contained in a frame 4 of metal, the parts of which are of channel-shape in cross section to receive the edges of the resilient member as shown more clearly in Figure 10. Preferably the resilient member is formed of waterproof sponge rubber and the relative sizes of the frame 4 and the members of the grids are such that the grids will contact the frame and not the rubber or resilient member 3. Also, the parts are so arranged that the frame 4 will hold the outer edges of the members of the grids in contact with the inner walls of the can so that no ice can be formed between the edges of the grid members and said inner walls of the can. Thus during the freezing operation the expansion will take place against the resilient member which will give to permit this expansion and this will prevent bulging of the sides of the can.

As more clearly shown in Figure 4, each member I is formed of a major part l and a minor part i" which are held in spaced relation to form a narrow longitudinally extending slot 6 and these parts I and l" are held in this position by the transversely extending end members 7 which are suitably connected with the members l and I". The member I on its inner edge is provided with a plurality of spaced slits 8 which open out into the slot 6 and the transverse members 2 are provided with the slits 9 in both side edges so that by turning a transverse member 2 and passing one end through the slot 6 until a long slit 9 comes opposite a notch or slit 8 with a short slit 9 opposite the member 1" the transverse member can be turned to interlock with the member I as shown in Figure 4. This will firmly hold the parts of each grid together so that they will not fall apart when removed from the can and when freed of the ice.

A notch I is formed in the top of each member I at one side thereof with the upper wall of the notch sloping downwardly and inwardly as shown in Figure 4 and these notched parts extend above the resilient member and its frame and an elongated bar or key member I i, see Figure 6, having an upstanding handle l2 at its center, is adapted to be passed through the aligned notches of the members E, after the grids, the resilient member and the ice cubes are removed from the can. After the bar is placed in the notches the bar is rocked by the handle I2 which forces the member I of one grid away from the members I of the other grid and both grids from the resilient member and this imparts movement to the transverse members 2 so that the cubes of ice can be easily and quickly re leased from the grids.

A cover I3 is provided for covering the top of the can and said cover has a gasket i4 therein to engage the top of the can, with the flanges of the cover extending over the reinforcing strips at the top of the can on the exterior thereof.

Preferably an opening I3 is formed in the top of the can to drain the air and water therefrom so as to maintain the water level in the top of the can below the notched parts at the upper ends of the members I so that no ice can form in the notches. Air during the freezing operation can pass to the sides of the resilient member through the slits and openings formed in the grid members and this air can pass upwardly along the sides of the resilient member and pass through the grooves i6 formed in the top member of the frame 4 of the resilient member, as shown in Figure 10. Thus no air can be trapped in the can and thus crystal ice is formed.

When a multiplicity of grids is used in a large can the pairs of grids between the resilient member and a side of the can is separated by a partition plate I8 provided with a multiplicity of perforations I9, see Figures '7, 8 and 9, so that water can pass from the outer grid through the perforations and thus reach the resilient member and thus expansion in the outer grid is taken care of by the centrally arranged resilient member and this expansion will not bulge the sides of the can. In this case, some of the longitudinal members of the grids have notches ID in both sides thereof as shown in Figure 8, so that a bar I I can be used for separating each grid from i an adjacent grid. In other respects this form of the invention is similar to that first described.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided simple means for preventing the expansion action during the freezing operation from bulging the sides of the can as this expansion is compensated for by the resilient member and the parts of the grid do not contact the resilient member as these parts all contact the frame 4 and this frame holds the outer edges of the grid parts snugly against the internal walls of the can so that no ice will be formed between the edges of the grids and the can, thus enabling the internal parts to be easily removed after the water has frozen. The member II enables the grids to be easily separated from the ice cubes and from the member 3 and its frame 4 and all air can readily escape through the openings in the grid members and the perforations in the partition plates Hi. When such plates are used and this air will escape through the grooves IS in the top of the frame of the resilient member.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A can for making ice cubes comprising a body, grids removably located in the body for forming the cubes and a longitudinally extending resilient member in the can for permitting expansion of the freezing water and preventing bulging the sides of the can, said resilient member separating one grid from another and being separable from the grids.

2. A can for making ice cubes comprising a body, grids removably located in the body for forming the cubes, a longitudinally extending resilient member in the center of the can for permitting expansion of the freezing water and preventing bulging of the sides of the can, and a frame surrounding the resilient member and formed of channel members, the adjacent parts of the grids engaging the frame and said frame holding such parts of the grids out of contact with the resilient member.

3. A can for making ice cubes comprising a body, grids removably located in the body for forming the cubes, a longitudinally extending resilient member in the center of the can for permitting expansion of the freezing water and preventing bulging of the sides of the can, a frame surrounding the resilient member and formed of channel members, the adjacent parts of the grids engaging the frame and said frame holding such parts of the grids out of contact with the resilient member, and perforated partition plates between the grids located on each side of the resilient member with the perforations arranged centrally of the spaces formed by the members of the grids.

4. A can for making ice cubes comprising a body, grids removably located in the body for forming the cubes, a longitudinally extending resilient member in the center of the can for permitting expansion of the freezing water and preventing bulging of the sides of the can, a frame surrounding the resilient member and formed of channel members, the adjacent parts of the grids engaging the frame and said frame holding such parts of the grids out of contact with the resilient member, and perforated partition plates between the grids located on each side of the resilient member with the perforations arranged centrally of the spaces formed by the members of the grids, said grids including longitudinally extending members, the upper edges of which have notches therein, and a bar having a handle attached thereto for placement in the notches after the grids with the ice cubes are removed from the can, for separating the parts to release the ice cubes.

5. A grid for an ice cube forming device comprising a longitudinally extending member and a plurality of transversely extending members, said longitudinally extending member having a longitudinally extending s-lot therein closed at its ends and slits arranged at right angles to the slot and opening out into the slot, said slits all being located at one side of the'slot and that invention, what is portion of the member at the other side of the slot being unslitted, said slot being of slightly greater width than the thickness of each transverse member to permit each transverse member to be passed through the slot, the transverse members having slits in both side edges, the slits in one side edge being of greater length than the slits in the other side edge and the long slits engaging the slits of the longitudinally extending member and the slits in the other side edge engaging the unslitted part of the longitudinally extending member, the slits being of such lengths and widths as to permit the transverse members to be removed from the longitudinal member and connected with the longitudinal member and extending at right angles thereof.

6. In an ice making device, a can, grid mem" bers therein including longitudinally and transversely extending members, the longitudinally extending members having longitudinally extending slots therein and slits arranged at right angles to the slots and opening out thereinto with the slits arranged in one wall of each slot, the transverse members having slits in each side edge some of which interlock with the slits of the longitudinal members and others of which engage the'unslitted parts of the longitudinally extending members, and a longitudinally extending resilient member placed between some of the grids for permitting expansion of the freezing water and preventing bulging of the sides of the can.

'7. In an ice making device, a can, grid members therein including longitudinally and transversely extending members, a longitudinally extending resilient member placed between some of the grids for permitting expansion of the freezing water and preventing bulging of the sides of the can, substantially dovetail openings formed in the upper ends of the longitudinally extending members of the grids, and a beveled bar adapted to be placed in said openings, after the parts are removed from the can for separating the parts to release the ice cubes.

8. In an ice making device, a can, grid members therein including longitudinally and transversely extending members, the longitudinally extending members having longitudinally extending slots therein and slits arranged at right angles to the slots and opening out thereinto with the slits arranged in one wall of each slot,

the transverse members having slits in each side edge some of which interlock with the slits of the longitudinal members and others of which engage the unslitted parts of the longitudinally extending members, a longitudinally extending resilient member placed between some of the grids for permitting expansion of the freezing water and preventing bulging of the sides of the can, and a channel-shaped frame surrounding the resilient member and against which rest the adjacent edges of the members of the grids with the top member of the frame having vertical grooves therein for the escape of air and said frame of the resilient member holding the outer edges of the outermost grid members against the internal walls of the can.

9. In an ice making device, a can, grid members therein including longitudinally and transversely extending members, the longitudinally extending members having longitudinally extending slots therein and slits arranged at right angles to the slots and opening out thereinto with the slits arranged in one wall of each slot, the transverse members having slits in each side edge some of which interlock with the slits of the longitudinal members and others of which engage the unslitted parts of the longitudinally extending members, a longitudinally extending resilient member placed between some of the grids for permitting expansion of the freezing water and preventing bulging of the sides of the can, a channel-shaped frame surrounding the resilient member and against which rest the adjacent edges of the members of the grids with the top member of the frame having vertical grooves therein for the escape of air and said frame of the resilient member holding the outer edges of the outermost grid members against the internal walls of the can, and a cover for the can.

10. A can for making ice cubes comprising a body vertically elongated and having its top open, a resilient member removably located in the body and of substantially the same area as the internal area of the body, and a grid removably located in the body for forming cubes and being independent of the resilient member, some of the cubes formed by the grid contacting the resilient member during the freezing operation,

THOMAS S. ELLIOTT, SR. 

